Due to updates to the registration process for this course, this webpage is now closed.

Please visit the new registration page for the Mental Health Foundations for Dietitians Evergreen course on the Dietitians Australia member portal website.


The Centre for Advanced Learning (CAL) is excited to bring you the Mental Health Foundations for Dietitians Evergreen course. 

Audience: Dietitians with 1-3 years of experience in practice. This course can also be useful as a refresher if you are returning to practice in this area. 

Access to the course: New registrants will be uploaded to the Learning Management System (LMS) within one week of registering online. Once you have been uploaded to the LMS, you will have ongoing access for 12 months to the course and associated materials. 

CPD hours: This course is worth 15 CPD hours collectively. You will need to manually enter your CPD hours for this course. 

Certificates: Upon completing of the course, you will be able to download your certificate from the Learning Management System. 

Course overview

This Evergreen course consists of 3 unique modules. We have redesigned our course structure to provide you more flexibility in your registration options. 

For this course, you can choose to register for the whole course at once, OR you can choose to register for the individual module(s) that are relevant to you. 

Each module is outlined in detail below. 

Module 1: Introduction

This module is individually worth 5 CPD hours.

Module 1 learning outcomes:

  • Describe the spectrums of mental health and mental illnesses
  • Describe the prevalence, symptoms and characteristics, and treatment options for the mental illnesses in focus
  • Describe the physical health problems experienced by people with a mental illness
  • Introduce the role of nutrition in mental health

Module 2: Clinical (inpatient)

This module is individually worth 5 CPD hours.

Module 2 learning outcomes:

  • Describe mental health inpatient facilities and the professions that make up multidisciplinary mental health teams
  • Explore food service standards and considerations for mental health inpatient units
  • Describe the role of a clinical (inpatient) mental health dietitian, including risk screening and the nutrition care process
  • List options for dietetic care external to the mental health inpatient unit.

Module 3: Community and private practice

This module is individually worth 5 CPD hours.

Module 3 learning outcomes:

  • List care options for people with mental illness living in the community
  • Describe the Nutrition Care Process in the context of community-based and outpatient service-based dietitians, and private practice dietitians
  • Describe the role for family/carers in the Nutrition Care Process
  • Explore potential benefits of engaging with non-government mental health organisations

Spring Special course pricing

$125

(incl. GST)

$175 for non-Dietitians Australia members

INDIVIDUAL MODULE(S)

     Choose only the module(s) that apply to your practice.          

$340

(incl. GST)

$475 for non-Dietitians Australia members

FULL COURSE PACKAGE

Receive a 10% discount for purchasing all modules in this course.

For information about group registration discounts, please contact education@dietitiansaustralia.org.au.

Meet the educators

Scott Teasdale

Dr Scott Teasdale is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the UNSW School of Psychiatry based within the Mindgardens Neuroscience Network. Dr Teasdale specialised as a mental health dietitian within the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Mental Health Service, completing his PhD alongside this role. Dr Teasdale is vice-convenor of Dietitians Australia  Mental Health Interest Group and member of Dietitians Australia Mental Health Working Group. Dr Teasdale is an ambassador for Equally Well Australia, an initiative from the National Mental Health Commission to improve the physical health of people living with mental illness.

Course contributors 

  • Abbey Pearson, mental health dietitian 
  • Michelle Hsu, mental health dietitian 
  • Katie Dalton, mental health dietitian 
  • Emily Bevan, mental health dietitian 
  • Alex Harman, mental health dietitian
  • Catherine O'Donnell, lived experience project manager 
  • Dr Jackie Curtis, consultant psychiatrist 

Course reviewers 

  • Dr Tetyana Rocks, dietitian 
  • Elise Tripodi, Dietitians Australia Mental Health Interest Group
  • Tania Mathewson, Dietitians Australia Mental Health Interest Group
  • Josephine Pizzinga, Dietitians Australia Mental Health Interest Group
  • Georgina Latimer, Dietitians Australia Mental Health Interest Group
  • Sonya Stanley, Dietitians Australia Mental Health Interest Group

Frequently asked questions

Who is this course for? 

Dietitians with 1-3 years' experience in practice. 

This course can be useful for new graduate dietitians, or for more experienced dietitians who are new to this area or would like a refresher before returning to practice within this area after some time away. 

How long will I have access to the course? 

Once you have been uploaded onto the Learning Management System (LMS), you will have on-going access for 12 months to the course and associated materials. 

Do I need to complete the course in any order?

This course is self-paced, which means you can do as little or as much as you like at any given time. It is recommended that you start at the first module and then progress through to the last, as each module will build on knowledge from the previous modules. 

How do I access the course?

Once you have registered for the course it takes up to a week to be uploaded to the Learning Management System (LMS). If you have previously enrolled in a CAL course, you can locate this course under the 'My Courses' tab once you have logged into the LMS. If you are a new user, you will receive an automated email from the LMS informing you of your enrolment and password within a week of registering. This automated email will go to the same email address that you registered to the course with, be sure to check your junk inbox if you have not received it.

Was this course peer-reviewed?

Yes, this course was peer-reviewed in 2022. This course is scheduled for review in 2025.  

How long will it take me to complete the course? 

Since this course is self-paced, the number of hours will vary from participant to participant, however it is expected that this course in its entirety will take approximately 15 hours to complete. You will need to manually upload your CPD hours for this course. 

What are the course requirements?

To receive your Professional Certificate, you will need to view all course materials and then successfully complete the assessment item. Don't worry, you will have unlimited attempts!

Contact

The Education Centre team

E: education@dietitiansaustralia.org.au

P: 02 6189 1202

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